Tribes and worship

How exactly am I supposed to go about creating a new sentient race? I've been told we can't give a race knowledge, so uplifting them seems to be out of the question. Does that mean I just have to resort to making favorable conditions for them?

Also, I've noticed that Angrydorf keeps posting a list of tribes, and that they all, expect for the sren, seem to have gods. Are there no other De'renai tribes other than those Angry lists?